Migrant workers in Canada exposed to ‘shocking abuse and discrimination,’ Amnesty says

Amnesty International has said migrant workers in Canada have been exposed to “shocking abuse and discrimination” while working under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

Migrant workers in Canada have been exposed to “shocking abuse and discrimination” while working under the country’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), according to a new report by Amnesty International. In the report published Thursday, Amnesty criticized the structure of Canada’s TFWP, which allows employers to hire migrant workers for primarily low-paid jobs across sectors including agriculture, food processing, construction, and hospitality. The human rights organization said laborers were vulnerable to abuse through “harmful provisions” in the program, including closed work permits that tie workers to a single employer who controls both their migration status and labor conditions. CNN has reached out to the Canadian government for a response to the report. Amnesty interviewed 44 migrant workers from 14 countries for the report, predominantly from what it termed the Global South, with most workers reporting unpaid wages and excessive hours. Some workers told Amnesty their contracts stipulated zero rest days. Many workers said they suffered discrimination at work, including being tasked with the hardest physical jobs. Some workers said they suffered severe injuries or developed medical conditions due to unsafe working conditions.